The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-11-03
FREE TUITION AT U. n. G.
SHALL NORTH CAROLINA THROW
OPEN THE DOORS

Durham Tobcco Plant. The senti-
mel Makes Extracts.
The various objections urged against
the liberal support of the University
will be ingenuously considered under
| the next view of what kind Of g Uni
versity We ought to have.
THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD BE FREE
OF EXPENSE FOR TUITION" TO ALL
THE YOUNG MEN OF N. c.
I take this position fully realizing
how vehement and bitter the opposi-
ton I thereby arouse. The Constitrl.
ton, Art. 8, Sec. Z, says: "The Gen
eral Assembly shall provide that the
benefits Of the University, as far as
| practicable, be extended to the youth
Of the State free Of expense for tut
ton"
Who enacted this constitution The
representatives of the people. Who
ratified this Constitution The pco-
pie themselves. Now, when any North
CarolinIan, no matter what his church
or party relations or opinions, votes
for member of the Legislature, he
thereby virtually says: ''I want you
to go to Raleigh and s,0ear that you
will, as far as practicable, open the
doors Of the University TO the youth
of the State tree of tuition" When
81 candidate asks the sufrages of his
people for place in the Legislature,
as loyal citizen, he virtually says:
81 want you to send me where shall
take the oath binding me to give free
tuition il the University to the youth
Of the State, as far as practicable. :"
When the legislator is qualified, he
directly saCeors that he will, Gas far as
practicable" give the youth Of the
State free tuition at the University,
The only qualification is in the
words "as far as practicable" What
do they mean? practicable" here
evidently signifies, possible to be ac-
compIished with known means or re-
sources" Can any one find defni-
ton that is more plainly true to the
use Of the word in this place? Can it
mean anything else here? Hence it
seems that no unprejudiced mind can
fail to see that the words Gas far as
practicable" refer and apply to fnan-
cial ability of the State and to that
alone. Hence, the whole clause re-
q,lires that if the State is able it shall
give free tuition to "the Youth of the
State" is (by every fair inter
probation of the language) to all the
youth of the State; and I claim that
it teaches that if the State is not able
to make all the tuition free, 1t shall do
so as far as 1t is able. The county stu
dent Act shows that the members of
the legislature considered the words
Gas far as practicable" as referring to
the 'sunabea to be entirely exempted
from tuition, and not to the idea of
making the tuition for all as low as
Notwithstanding it free for all, if
practicable. Hoping it will not be
presumptuous IN me, | venture to ad-
vocate most confidently the view that
the clause does not contain the idea of
class legislation. There is nothing in
the letter or spirit of the Constitution
to justly any such conclusion. It ev-
identity teaches that sas far as practi-
cable" free tuition shall be given, not
to the poor only, not to the rich only,
but to all ''the youth Of the State" In
the section Of the same Article, pro-
vided for free tuition in the common
schools, no distinction is made in favor
Of either poor or rich, but the system
is required to be general and uni
form" By parity of reasoning-by
natural inference-the same impair
tiality and universally of benefit are
intended to be expressed in the clause
relating to free University. So, the
simple question with the oath bound
legislator is, what is the State fnan-
cially able to do in carrying out the
constitutional requirement respecting
free tuition at the University? Is it
able now to give free tuition to all? II
really not able to go that far, what is
| the lowest tuition that it can finan-
cially afford to demand? ?
/ a man under a solemn oath must
not try to change the meaning of plain
words. Practicable" must mean
practicable. It must not be vio.
lently wrested from its own sphere
| and made to mean, "what the church
colleges approve" or "what certain
secular or religious editors will be
pleased with" or "what our party.
influence requires" As distinguish.
ed lawyer-a graduate of a church
college-said to me, There's great
difference between the words "practi
cable" and 'expedient.''
/ / know that, during the last session
of the legislature, the idea that tht
words of the clause touching free tut
| ton implied equal distribution of th,
benefit of exemption, and not specia
favor to particular class, was sug
gested to certain active members; ane
that that view was actually adopted
by the Legislature; and that in har
mony with that Interpretation it wa
resolved to lower to some degree th.
charge for tuition for all the youth O
the State-limiting the grant OF fre,
tuition to those classes who are receiv
ed without charge BY the church col
leges.
THE TIME HAS COME.
The question forces itself upon us
| is the State now able to give free tut
ton to all the youth of the State
| Let us look at the facts. For year
| it has given very nearly as much as i
necessary to justify the Trustees in op
enipg the doors of the Institution t,
all nI1r vautl, On this + affirm, tha